Case Study

Denis gains two jobs offers and goes back to school

22 Dec 2021

The 53-year-old had worked in digital media at schools for over three decades, until he switched to a job nearer to home in a watch shop. But Denis, who is from Burscough in West Lancashire, had to leave after just two weeks for medical reasons.
 
“When I started at the watch shop in May this year (2021), it became apparent I couldn’t stand for eight to nine hours a day,” he said. “My ankle, where I had a vein removed as part of my heart surgery in 2017, swelled with blood, so I sadly had to call it a day.
 
“I was unemployed and was getting increasingly concerned about not having a job, particularly because of my age – the older you get, you are aware there are younger models on the market!”
 
He was referred by Lorraine Cleary at Ormskirk Jobcentre Plus to Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) and was soon offered not one job but two. JETS is a separate strand of the Work and Health Programme (WHP), delivered in the North West by Ingeus.
 
Ingeus found Denis job vacancies, paid for interview clothes, petrol, DBS checks and other expenses. Denis also took part in online workshops to help with interview techniques and embraced the Ingeus iWorks system, a digital career platform which gives access to thousands of free employability resources and online learning activities.
 
He is full of praise for him employment coach Julie Smith:
 
“Julie was a shining light at a dark time for me. Her sense of humour and devotion to helping me back into employment was massive for me, she helped me to rediscover my self-confidence,” he said.
 
Denis was offered two jobs and accepted one back at a school as an ICT media technician.
“It’s like coming home, it’s very enjoyable,” he enthused. “Anyone thinking about signing up for JETS, my advice would be do it – you will not regret it.”
 
JETS is commissioned and financed by the Department for Work and Pensions and deemed to be a European Social Fund match funded programme.